danger before crisis
by FinisDux
Summary: this story is about my own ff7 Charackter Tenshi, he becomes a SOLDIER gets a 1st soon and... well...read the story! he has many surprises and his friends are all of the favorite characters you got to know by cc ect. XD
1. Chapter 1

The most characters are the property of Square Enix and I don't own them. A character of Death Note and one of mine are included, in the first chapter.

Ch. 1:

Zack walks out of the high school, because he has got a mission and had to "clean" the area. He walks along the way, but he stops. He sees a black book and picks it up. "Death Note…" he mumbles. He thinks a short time and than he shrugs his shoulders. He throws it back and keeps walking. A light brown haired boy picks it up too, but he takes it with him. Zack asks himself during walking: "Who needs such Notes?" the boy watches at him and than he makes a confused sort of face and looks to the book, but he shakes his head. The two are going different ways. Zack thinks about what could someone do with that Note, but then his phone rings: "Zack speaking?"

"Zack! Hurry up! The headquarter is under attack!"

"What? For real?" he's smiling.

"Focus! This isn't a game or a test!"

"I know! I'm coming." He hangs up and runs forward.

At the headquarters Zack runs to where the others are standing: "What's that? Snakes?"

"Big Snakes. They are coming form everywhere." Sephiroth says.

"Someone controls them." Genesis answered.

Zack's confused: "Why do you think that?"

Angeal: "They move like they have a strategy."

A 3rd class SOLDIER says: "A strategy? They're snakes! Let's beat them! Ha!" he and one other run, but the first stops when he found himself under a shadow. He looks up and sees a snake falls on him. He screams until he dies as the snake eats him. The other one isn't disturbed and still runs, but another snake slithers out of the corner like a shot and in the next moment he's also been eaten.

Zack exclaims: "What just happened?"

Sephiroth says highly unimpressed: "Such fools."

Genesis declares in a burst of heroism: "But we have to beat them! All together!"

Zack agrees: "Let's go get 'em!" in battle cries all rush to attack the snakes. Everyone is fighting hart, but the number of battle-capable SOLDIER is always smaller. Finally, just Zack, Genesis, Sephiroth, and Angeal can withstand the snakes. Zack gasps: "What are they?"

Genesis observed: "Their numbers have dwindled."

Sephiroth remarks unflappable: "But we also." They begin to fight again. Zack is the first to be put out of action, followed soon after by Genesis and Angeal. Soon even the great hero Sephiroth can't face them all.

Genesis: "It's over!" Hope seems to fade completely, but just when you think, it stops blinking it starts to glow again. Suddenly someone is standing before them poised to attack: "Tenshi is in the house!" he bellows with passion.

He is a little thin young man and wears a too big sweatshirt. He turns his double-blade, as if he wants to attack but pauses as he notices Sephiroth yelling to him with all his remaining strength: "Stay back! It's too dangerous for you!"

"That's what you think!" says Tenshi seriously, "I may not be strong and masculine, but I have magic and I have experience."

Sephiroth is astounded by so much courage. Tenshi straightens himself and takes the weapon into his right hand. He closes his eyes and holding his left hand in front of his right shoulder, he mumbles: "Leave them up to me…"

It was quiet for a short time, but then he suddenly opens his eyes again and throws magic to the snakes.

"Wow!" Zack says perplexed.

"Was that…?" Sephiroth stammers. Three big fireballs had erupted from Tenshi's hands and hit the snakes. The SOLDIER men stood as if paralysed in shock.

"Such strong magic… that was…" murmurs Genesis, taken aback by the raw power emanating from this newcomer, Tenshi.

Tenshi smiles at them: "It's hell firaga. One of the three biggest attack-magics in existence. And they all belong to me." He looks forward and with a final blast of magic defeats the snakes.

Suddenly the sound of clapping could be heard somewhere: "Good work, you defeated my poor snakes." The SOLDIER men look about for the sources of the disembodied voice, and find it finally on the next floor up. "But can you stay in front of me?" the man stays, remaining on the next floor and moving to an attack position, "come and get some!"

"Good! I'll do that!" Tenshi straightens again. The man prepares for a strong attack from Tenshi. But as Tenshi opens his eyes again the man thinks he would attack him, but Tenshi turns around and heals the other.

"What?" angrily exclaims the snake man. "Why do you heal the weaklings? They had no chance against my snakes! They have to die!" He was in real rage.

Tenshi turns again and says in a tone of all seriousness: "They are strong and more than worthy to live, like everyone. Against them, I am weak and I need to learn much more."

Zack smiles: "Didn't you said, you are learned?"

"I'm intelligent, but far form wise."

Genesis looks as if he had found his "example". The man jumps a floor down: "I see…you're stupid."

Tenshi moves to the attack position: "Let's get put this behind us." He wants to attack him directly, but the man disappears. "Where…?" He looks around but sees nothing. The man appears again behind Tenshi, who wants to turn around. Angeal wants to beat him, so he disappears again. He returns to beat Angeal in the face and disappears again.

Sephiroth says: "What a speed."

The man appears in front of Tenshi and looks at him with an evil smile. Tenshi closes his eyes, but opens them again because nothing happened. Genesis is defending him: "No further!" he shouts.

Sephiroth takes his turn attacking the man, but the man is prepared for this: he defends himself. At the same time, Tenshi stretches out his arm and his double-edged blade changes and becomes long, thin and curved: a long Katana. Because the man is busy protecting himself against Sephiroth, he doesn't see Tenshi's blade coming. He looks with an expression of shock at the transformed blade: "change…able…blade. F***." Tenshis sword turns into a mere handle.

The dead body of the man falls to the ground like a wet sack. Zack runs to him and asks curious: "Wow! How did you do that?"

Tenshi smiles and shows him: "Look! There is a lever to adjust the blade." Zack touches the lever and the blades come out. "Wow! Watch out!" exclaims Tenshi.

"Oops! Sorry." Says a bashful Zack. "My bad."

Sephiroth strides up to Tenshi: "Your left hand is leading?" he asks.

Tenshi looks at him and then he stretches out his left hand as if he would say hello: "Left handed." In addition, he smiles.

Sephiroth looks to the hand, then he smiles for a short time and they shake her left hands.


	2. Chapter 2

The most characters are the property of Square Enix and I don't own them. A character of mine is included, in this chapter.

Ch. 2:

Tenshi is sitting at the table in the SOLDIER-floor with 3rd and 2nd Class SORDIER who listen interested to his story. Suddenly Sephiroths pone rings and he lefts. Genesis asks Tenshi: "Were did you get this Materia?"

Tenshi answers: "I found them a wile ago, near my village. I wasn't able to use then correctly because I was too young, but they weren't taken from me."

Zack is amazed: "You're a backwater expert, too? What is you village called?"

Tenshi smiles, mildly embarrassing: "Yeah…I'm a backwater expert, but my village didn't get a name…too small. Near is the village of Gongaga."

Zack is quite beside himself with joy: "That's my village! You lived near me all the time?"

Tenshi is happy: "Yeah? Amazing!"

Angeal interrupt their joy with another question: "Where did you actually produce your weapon."

Tenshi glances at him and than takes his sword from his belt. He looks reminiscently at his beloved weapon: "My dad made it."

"Could your father do that again?" Genesis asks.

"He is…," Tenshi looks to the ceiling, "not here."

"You mean he is…" begins Zack.

Angeal closes his eyes and says gravely: "Sorry for asking."

"No prob!" says Tenshi without a sing of remorse. "My dad has shown me no more since I was a child."

"What? And he called himself father?" Zack bursts out without much forethought.

Tenshi shakes his head: "He…he did much for us and didn't have the time to visit us because of that. His last wish was that I would be a SOLDIER. I wanted it too."

"While you're on the subject," Sephiroth cuts in as he returns once more to their small gathering, "the Director wants to see you."

Without further ado, Tenshi jumps excited away from the bench and heads towards the lift, but he realises that his sword is still lying on the table. He turns back and grabs it, wondering and hoping that the Director would grant him his one desperate wish: to become a member of SOLDIER.

Exiting the lift into Lazard's office, Tenshi quickly goes to the office table: "You wanted to see me...Sir?" His body shakes slightly with nervousness as he stands there.

Lazard smiles and looks at him from behind his thin glasses: "You did…exceptionally well back there, Mr Sakaime."

Tenshi stood there in stunned silence, beaming at the Director's praise. If he could have found his voice, he might have whooped for joy.

"Fill this form for me."

Tenshi looks at him quizzically, before leaning forward to examine the form. Upon perusing its contents, he smiles with pleasure. He takes out a pen and fills in the forms. Then he returns the form to the Director. Lasard reads: "Sakaime, Tenshi; other information: likes to work in groups."

Tenshi smiles: "I had much to fill out but that's all you're interested in… Sir?"

Lazard watches him momentarily over the rim of his glasses with his keen, calculating eyes: "Looks like it…" he stands up, "Welcome to SOLDIER. From now on you're a SOLDIER 3rd class."

Tenshi's heart skipped a beat. He'd done it!

They shake their hands Tenshi amazes at his luck.

"You won't regret it!" Tenshi says on the way out, holding his hand up in farewell.

Back on the SOLDIER-floor Zack is outraged: "The Director called you personally?" he whines.

"Why do you ask?" Tenshi inquires, nervous once again, the elation of the moment having died down.

Zack depressed, admits: "I have seen him no single time."

"You'll see him someday." says Tenshi with a sympathetic edge to his voice.

"Which rank have you got?" asks Zack interestedly, quick as ever to dismiss his dejection.

"3rd class SOLDIER. Just like you…"

"What? I did so much to become a 3rd class SOLDIER and you got it so easily?" groans Zack.

"Don't be mad with me…"

"After all that he did," Angeal begins to say in a lecturing tone "it surprises me that he doesn't get a higher rank."

Zack looks offended: "You're right," he agrees "Sorry."

Nearby, they overhear another 3rd class SOLDIER saying: "I want to test him. What do you think?" Tenshi suddenly feels an powerful up welling of defiance in his chest at this challenge; Zack and Tenshi glance around at their fellow SOLDIERs to see them watching Tenshi with hungry expressions on their faces. A few moments later, they are outside the simulation room, Tenshi having readily agreed to defend his pride. Tenshi goes into the simulator.

Angeal gives him a pair of very odd-looking, thick, black glasses that Tenshi supposed recorded simulation data:: "Put that on." He says. Angeal goes out of the room and Tenshi puts the glasses on, slightly taken aback that he wouldn't be fighting a real person. Nonetheless, he was prepared to take down anything! Suddenly, a voice sounds: "_SIMULATION X STARTED._"

"Are you crazy? Simulation X?" Tenshi hears Zack exclaim through the glass walls of the simulation room. A chill of foreboding ran up and down his spine. 'There's nothing to be concerned about,' he told himself. 'No sweat! Zack couldn't beat those snakes, right? I was the one who defeated them. And wasn't it Angeal who said that I should be ranked higher anyway?'

The setting begins to turn darker and the room expands; it's an odd sensation, having your surroundings so obviously altered. He couldn't hear Zack's exclamations anymore wither, which was a bit of a relief.

Both the floor and the walls are made of metal. Tenshi looks around him. In front of him, a SOLDIER 3rd class materializes. Upon the completion of his synthesis, the other SOLDIER directly attacks Tenshi.

"Wow!" Tenshi throws himself aside just in time; he feels the breeze of the SOLDIER simulation zoom past him. Righting himself, he strikes with his sword but the SOLDIER is able to dodge the swipe. Thrown off balance for a mere second, The SOLDIER exerts well-aimed strikes. Tenshi manages to deftly repel him. Batting the simulation's sword aside, he strikes out once more but, predictably, the SOLDIER dodges out of the danger zone. This continues for a short while longer. Eager to impress his audience with more than simple dodging and parrying exercises, Tenshi jumps away to put some distance between him and his enemy. Mimicking Tenshi's change of tactics, the SOLDIER jumps high, thinking he would attack Tenshi directly once more. He stretches out his hand and shoots fireballs at Tenshi. It seems that Tenshi is hit, but he jumps out of the flames unharmed. Soaring higher than the other, he stretches out his hands on his sword and directs powers through it. Tenshi then shoots down through the air of the physically altered simulation room at high speed and plunges through the animation, destroying it and causing it to dissolve in files. At the same time a 2nd class SOLDIER materialises behind him. However, Tenshi is prepared - he pulls his sword out of the floor, having been lodged there after his final attack on the last simulation, transforms the blade and kills this animation too. Tenshi turns to see his adversary disappearing. For a short time nothing happens. Tenshi looks about him expectantly. "Is it over already?" he asks.

A sound behind him alerts him to the presence of his newest enemy: "No." it says. It was an oddly familar voice. Tenshi whirls around quickly and sees Sephiroth in front of him a little distance away. A tremor of fear passed through him.

The voice of the 3rd class SOLDIER who had chosen the test sounds in the room: "Don't shout at me! I can't interrupt the test! There is an error in the system!"

"Are you afraid?" "Are you afraid?" says the Sephiroth animation, a smirk on his perfectly symmetrical, angular face.

For a long time they only stare at each other. then the Sephiroth animation starts to attack. Tenshi was unprepared - he hadn't seen Sephiroth in top form yet. Sephiroth sweeps towards him; Tenshi can only just elude him because he is too weak with terror to defend himself. Jumping, crouching and rolling. It seemed like he was forever trying to get out of the way of that giant sword of him, Masamune, and Sephiroth's fleeting fighting style. Tenshi could almost imagine the pain that the sword would invoke as it bit into his body if he gave it half a chance. But he couldn't keep dodging forever. He searches in his bags, then he founds something useful and gets it out. He says to the globe of Materia now held in his hands: "More strength, more speed!" He looks at his Materia; it suddenly begins to pulsate with light and he summons every last bit of power in it into his body. He looks as if he would light up with it's magic. As this point, Sephiroth was sweeping in for another attack; Tenshi braces and finds himself staring into Sephiroth's cat-like cyan eyes, his sword pressed against Sephiroth's and their faces' inches from one another. Miraculously, with the aid of the Materia, he could withstand Sephiroth's powerful attack. No… Tenshi begins to push Sephiroth's blade back - he's stronger! Thrusting Sephiroth's Masamune away from him, Tenshi eludes an easily recovered Sephiroth and turns around him in a way that positions him back to back with Sephiroth. As he did this, Tenshi's sword changes into a Katana and has pierced though Sephiroth's defence. The animation of Sephiroth then disappears, his usually smooth, aloof features wracked by a silent, tormented scream.

"_SIMULATION PASSED._"

His surroundings reverts back to normal; he could hear applause on the other side of the glass - could see his SOLDIER peers enthusiastically clapping their hands. 'I won..'. thinks Tenshi, before collapsing wearily. The simulation glasses slide down off his face and the Materia falls out of his body with a soft sound on the floor; He stumbles out amid many congratulatory sentiments. The noise dies down around him until everyone was silent, watching him enter the lift as she strives to not let his knees buckle behind him and send him crashing to the floor once more. Zack, Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal use the other lift to follow Tenshi. When they reach the first floor, they see that Tenshi has finally collapsed into unconsciousness; the women at the reception desk are hovering uneasily around him, unsure what to do. They are startled to hear a shrill neigh, accompanied by a explosion of concrete into the hall. The wall on the south corner of the room had been toppled. After the smoke has retreated from the blast, they witness the approach of creepy horse-monsters. The receptionists rent the air with peircing screams of terror and flee - the soundof their high-heeled shoes could be heard fading into the distance. Meanwhile, the SOLDIER notice that on top of one of the horse-monsters at the front sat a very vacate-looking woman. "Are you the guys who killed my big brother?" she demands ferociously.


	3. Chapter 3

The most characters are the property of Square Enix and I don't own them. A character of mine is included, in this chapter.

Ch3:

In the last chapter, a woman was braking through the wall.

"So! Say! Did you kill my brother?" demands the woman.

Zack, Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal stand in the shadow of an enormous horse-monster; Tenshi lay on the floor at their feet, unconscious from his earlier fight with a Sephiroth animation in the Simulation Room on level 49, the SOLDIER floor.

"And what if?" Zack says, smiling indulgently at the woman.

The woman dismounts from the withers of the giant horse-monster, who snorted and tossed it's head menacingly - they sunk into attack positions, their swords drawn and ready for action. "I would do the same to you," says the woman, walking jauntily over to them, a savage glare on her face.

Sephiroth: "Come and try."

"Someone has to take care of Tenshi," says Angeal in a quiet undertone. He looks to Zack.

"No way!" exclaims Zack. "Not me! C'mon! I'm ready for this."

Sephiroth looks angry at him: "Do as you're told, SOLDIER 3rd Class!" Sephiroth says sharply. "Listen to your superior. You are not yet skilled enough for this battle."

"Gimme a cha-!"

Genesis cuts in before Zack can finish his indignant tirade: "I'll do it." he says. He goes to Tenshi and bends down to him.

Meanwhile, the woman has disappeared between the horse-monsters. "Let's go my sweet!" she exclaims, signalling the start of the engagement. The horses leap obligingly to where the men are standing, but they jump quickly out of the path of their deadly hooves. Genesis jumps up with Tenshi over his shoulder, taking him to the next floor and out of danger. The others leap forward into the fray. They cut their adversaries down, horse by horse. However, it is difficult. They suffer injuries and are increasingly out of breath. Zack is knocks out. After a fierce battle with the enemies' rider less cavalry, they are completely wrecked. "So…" says the woman, her tone dripping with spite. "You defeated those creatures. Now you're easy prey for me," the woman says seriously.

" 'Creatures'?" Sephiroth echoes her, his eyebrows drawn together in a thoughtful frown across his brow.

Angeal was angry with the woman's apparent lack of regard for the monsters that had laid down their lives in service of the ungrateful woman.

"Anything that is unable to hold their own against my opponents is not worth the title of "my sweet"."

"You monster!" yelled Zack. "That's not a reason!"

The woman looks to Zack with a smile: "So you say. Let's see whose ambitions are the best." She attacks. Sephiroth and Angeal try to repel her but find that they're too weak from the previous fight with the horse-monsters. They have to swallow a very hard hit. "And you call yourself soldiers?" laughs the woman. "Apparently SOLDIER isn't all it's cracked up to be." She glances up to the next floor and she grins maliciously. The others think of Genesis and Tenshi and hope that they had managed to get away.

Mounting the stairs, she discovers to her good fortune that her quarry had not in fact escaped. Genesis glances up from trying to revive Tenshi, who still lies unmoving on the floor. Genesis grinds the teeth. The woman approaches swiftly and attacks him. He stops her with his sword, blade to blade. "Protecting a weak little boy," she chuckles. "Compassion in a SOLDIER? Now that's something. You're a fool."

"And you're over," Genesis said with narrowed eyes. "I'll protect him with everything I have!"

Tenshi wakes up sometime later don't knowing what happened He sits up, feeling markedly better than before. As he raises himself, he sees Genesis standing some way from him. His blood coats the floor in shimmering droplets. The others arrive at the top of the stairs on either side of them, similarly battered. "Nice timing buddy." smiles Zack. He winces in pain.

"You are awake!" Genesis says suddenly, and then drops to his knees. A woman had a blade raised to Genesis's chest - his sword had clattered to the floor beside him.

"They're too weak to be the ones responsible for the death of my brother. Was it you?" she demands of him, moving towards him. As she did so, Genesis pulled himself up, his sword making a unpleasant metallic scrapeon the tiles as he lifted it.

"You still haven't had enough?" she says, throwing herself towards him. She jumps with the sword tight in hands - Genesis finds he can summon the will to fight no more. He stares up without regret as the woman bore down upon him. He let out a startled gasp as she stops midair, a tiny, choked yelp escaping her mouth. She has been skewered by Tenshi's Katana.

"So you die in the same manner as your brother..." says Tenshi in a grave voice. "You were too careless."

He lets her down and put the blade away. Then he takes care of his friends. "Why do you just use Regen?" asks Zack.

"Because wounds like those would leave scars if I did that…and I don't want you to carry scars because I was sleeping on the job." Then he looks to him and smiles.

"…But you weren't sleeping! You were powerless because of the battle before!"

"No," Tenshi replies, "not because of the battle. Because of the Materia."

"The Materia?" Sephiroth wonders aloud.

"Yes. It was too much - too powerful. Materia grant strength where there never was... but too much power and it attacks the body."

"If you knew this," speaks Angeal, "why did you risk yourself?"

Tenshi smiles at this: "To be your guardian angel when it is dangerous."

"You are well learned." says Sephiroth, inclining his head respectfully.

Tenshi scratches at the back of his head: "Too much of honour."

"Watch out!" Zack suddenly exclaims, an urgency to his voice. "The girl!"

Tenshi turns around and is met by the stricken face of the dying woman. He raises his hands automatically to shield himself from attack, had she been in any state to do so. He watches her sway on her feet and caught her as she keeled over. "Why does it have to happen?" she whispers. Tenshi leans in close to listen to her last words, forgetting that just before she had tried to kill them all. "I never wanted to fight…and I hate my brother."

The cold weight of guilt settled on Tenshi's heart.

As she took her last breath, everyone wonders what it was that had brought her to Shin-Ra. "If it wasn't because of her brother…" begins Tenshi, laying the body of the woman on the floor and stepping away from her.

"…why then did she do that?" finishes Genesis, meeting Tenshi's disturbed gaze.

A day later, Tenshi and Zack are wandering about the streets of Midgar. For Zack, it had just been another day at work. But for Tenshi...

"You know… yesterday that woman was…kind of strange…" Tenshi admits haltingly. The face of the dying woman and her mysterious intentions had been haunting him ceaselessly since the moment he had laid her to rest on the floor of the Shin-Ra building.

"Yeah..." replies Zack. "I remember, but…what does it have to do with the movie we watched?"

"Nothing," Tenshi says quickly. "Just…I just was thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about her."

Zack is about to answer him when he catches sight of the Firsts, Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal He waves to them, and wanders over to them. Tenshi follows, thinking that perhaps Angeal would have some words of wisdom for him.

Genesis' lip quirked up in a smile as they approached them.

"Tenshi," Angeal nods in welcome, his demeanour stern as always, but affable. He turns to his young student. "Zack."

Tenshi and Zack say smiling: "We can't escape you." Then they look each other and laugh.

A cry of anguish served to vaporise their good cheer a moment later. It had sounded like a young girl. "Do you hear that?" Tenshi says.

"Huh?" says Zack.

They scout around the immediate vicinity and Zack and Tenshi are able to locate the source of the sobs sitting on a stair down a secluded alley. Tenshi kneels before her, and speaks in gentle tones. "Talk to me, what's up?"

"M-my father," wept the girl, "was taken by a big bird and now I'm-I'm alone."

"That must to be a _big_ bird," comments Zack, wide-eyed.

Tenshi says smiling: "We'll take him back, I swear…and now…: smile for me!"

The teary-eyed girl looks to him in wonder.

"To smile makes everything better." He says. His own smile is very catching. He stands up, offering her his hand.

"It's okay," Zack encourages her with a friendly grin. "We're SOLDIER." he says proudly. "You can trust us."

The girl gives them a vague, watery smile.

"Were did the bird fly to?" Tenshi asks her.

"This way." she points down the other end of the alley. Tenshi wanders down in the direction she is pointing. Zack made to follow him as well, but the girl jumped off her chair and pulled rather violently at Zack's jumper.

"What's up?" he squats down to her level.

"Don't leave me-!"

Just then, the SOLDIER Firsts join them.

Tenshi explained to them what the girl had said

"I come with you Tenshi," Genesis tells him.

One of Sephiroth's eyebrows quirked up inquisitively. "It's not a mission, Genesis. Your expertise," he says with a hint of sarcasm at his SOLDIER rival, "is not required. I don't see what's in it for you."

"It's something you do for the honour of it." Angeal says, accompanying them to save the girl's father. Sephiroth looks after them, then to the girl, who is still firmly attached to Zack's arm (who seemed rather amused by it). His cool cyan eyes held the girl's frightened gaze for a moment, sure that Genesis only did this because he wanted to be regarded as the hero. Shaking his head, Sephiroth, too, follows the others.

"Take me with you." The girl begs, they extract themselves from the girl's persistent grip. "I want to help!"

Tenshi is watching the scene, smiling. He kneels again at the girl's feet, taking her little hands in his. Zack took this opportunity to move out of range of her grasp. "It's too dangerous," says Tenshi. "You should stay here and wait."

"... Okay then," she finally agrees, smiling and blushing slightly, charmed by the friendly Tenshi.

"Well see you soon," he says, standing and ruffling her hair. "You stay safe - see the big bird and run, okay?"

"Mn!" she replies, waving to them and wiping her eyes.

Walking off, Zack says with a laugh, "Looks like someone's fallen in love with you!"

Tenshi laughs too. "No thanks. That would just cause problems."

"Are you sure we have to climb up there?" Zack asks and looks to the big nest, which is at the end of the concrete wall.

"You can stay here and wait." Angeal says shortly.

Tenshi smiles at Zack's look of indignation. "You'll have to clean my rooms," he teases light-heartedly.

"No thanks," retorts Zack. "I'll come with you." And with that, they proceed to climb the wall.

Having reached the top, Tenshi hollers at the top of his voice: "Mister? Is anyone up there?"

A rustle of the large branches used to create the nest alerted them to another's presence. A man's head appears above the edge of the nest: "Are you here to save me?"

"Yup!" Zack says cheerfully.

Tenshi asks the man as he was at the top: "Are you able to climb down?" Tenshi calls out to the man, edging closer to him on the wall while vertigo threatened to tip him over the edge - he was by no means afraid of heights, but he hated how his head spanned because of it.

"No. I tried but I can't," the girl's father called out back to them.

"I thought that might be the case…" Tenshi says, mostly to himself. "Angeal, would you carry him down?" he shouts.

Angeal's reply came as a grunt. Tenshi climbs to the very edge of the wall to allow Angeal to pass him - Angeal appears to be unaffected by the height, or the danger that it presented. He reaches the nest and lifts the feeble man from it as easily as if he weighed no more than his own child. Tenshi finds he is glad the young girl's father is safe - he didn't fancy having to tell her that they had failed, that her father was dead.

"Wow!" says Zack, leaning into the nest and seeing the enormous eggs that the giant bird had left. "That would be one big fried egg!"

"Zack!" Angeal and Sephiroth both say in disapproval.

"My bad," he says quietly.

Now they start to climb down again but Tenshi looks to the nest again and sees a red feather. He thinks a short time and takes the feather. When they reach the bottom, Zack comments: "That was too easy."

"Don't say that," remarks Tenshi, "or you'll jinx it."

"He already has," Genesis says, pointing to his left. Tenshi is shocked to see a giant, flaming bird soaring towards them, but is able to appreciate the irony of the situation.

"Run!" yells Tenshi, rather unnecessarily.

As they flee from the giant fire bird, Zack wonders aloud: "Why run? We could fight it."

"Are you crazy?" shrieked Tenshi. "Fight a _phoenix?_!"


	4. Chapter 4

The most characters are the property of Square Enix and I don't own them. Characters of Death Note and one of mine are included in this chapter.

Ch. 4:

The guys are at the house of the man they have saved before. The man says with a cheerful smile: "I'm so glad you saved me. What can I do for my heroes?"

Zack is happy and screws up his eyes with joy: "Oh! There are many things you could do, for instance-"

he puts up his finger, thinking about something the man could do, but he's interrupted by Angeal reassures the man with all seriousness: "You don't need to do anything."

"We just did it for the girl." says Genesis pointing to her. Zack sulks disappointed that the man wouldn't do what he was thinking about. Not cleaning his rooms…or buying food for him.

"But there has to be something I can do for you." insists the man.

Then Tenshi says: "Tell us your name."

The man wonders: "Hum? Um, Yagami, Soichiro..."

The girl looks smiling to Tenshi all the time and says, now trying to get attention: "I'm Sayu."

Tenshi answers her looking down at her: "Nice to meet you." She beams at him but he doesn't notices that, because he looks to the man again.

The man remembering his wish, says: "And…what can I do for you now?"

"But you already did something." Says Tenshi, faking obliviousness, but unable to withhold a smile.

"A-and what?" the man wonders with a frown.

"You told us your name. Now we know the name of the person we saved." Tenshi laughs.

"Could we go now?" says Sephiroth irritated. He shakes his hair, the wind picking it up the thin silver strand and blowing them about.

"Stay!" Sayu cries suddenly. "We could have dinner together, Tenshi."

"Great idea, but…" says the man to Sayu still searching for a way to thank his heroes. He turns to Tenshi. "You don't have to stay, if you don't want."

"Good…!" says a disgruntled Sephiroth, and leaves.

Angeal shakes his head, embarrassed at Sephiroth's attitude. He follows him silently out the door. Genesis makes a move to stand beside Tenshi, wanting to stay behind for dinner too but Zack lays his hand on his shoulder and says: "So, Genesis we should go too. Tenshi have fun." And he flashes a brief grin, turns around and steers Genesis away with him.

"But…" Genesis says as they leave the house.

Tenshi looks a short time to the door and points to it trying to say that he wants to leave too because he fells uneasy thinking about eating at the home of people he has just got to know. As he glances back to the man who is looking to him with hope, he only manages a weak: "um…" then seeing Sayu beaming to him with her hands folded together under her chin like praying, he hangs the head: "Okay…" he relents.

Sayu is very happy and jumps around him with joy singing: "Yay! Tenshi-san is having dinner with me!" then she sulks, realising. "...and my family." Taking his hand and smiling again, she pulls at his arm: "I have to show you something!" she exclaims.

"Y-Yay…?" says Tenshi, confused and not particularly happy because he has a bad feeling about that.

The next day Zack and Tenshi are out walking the streets together again. "I will never forgive you…!" says Tenshi suddenly.

Zack is frightened jumps aside. He holds his hands up in the air defensively: "Wait…What…Why?" He put his arms down when he saw that Tenshi wasn't going to explode on him again.

"You left me alone with that crazy fall-for-me girl. And moreover…you were smiling." He looks at him in grim sulkiness. He's unhappy about having been left by his dear friends.

"Oh, that thing…," he was embarrassed and holds up his heat to keep being cool, "Yeah… I'm sorry 'bout that. I thought you deserved it."

Tenshi was shocked but smiles: "Deserve? She put me bows and beads, or something like that, in my hair!"

"Okay…" is the only thing Zack can say about this weird thing.

"Let's talk about something different." Tenshi went to change the subject with clumsy tactlessness.

"Well, how about SOLDIER?" Zack says remembering that Tenshi is a fellow SOLDIER now.

Tenshi wonders a little: "SOLDIER? Why?"

"You are a SOLDIER now. Did you get your uniform?"

"No. I will get mine tomorrow, they say." They sit down on the edge of the fountain. "Say Zack…what's you aim?"

"Aim?" he looks into Tenshi's face wonderingly.

"You know…what do you want to reach…now… since you've become a SOLDIER…"

"Well…I didn't think 'bout that…I just did my job… and yours?"

Tenshi looks proudly in the air: "My aim is to become…a 2nd class SOLDIER, and then it would be a 1st."

"That doesn't sounds like a plan…!" laughs Zack. "But…May I… use this too?"

"No…I don't think it suits you." Tenshi shakes his head seriously.

"Well… then what?" Zack looks at Tenshi quizzically.

"I think you should go for the highest aim."

"You mean…to be a SOLDIER 1st class?"

"Oh no! To be a Hero!" Tenshi looks at him smiling.

Zack looks in the air: "To be…a Hero…" he says while closing his eyes and welcomes the words in his heart.

Tenshi grins: "Looks like now you got an aim."

Zack clenches the fists in exultance. "You know…I could hug you right now…!"

Tenshi laughs: "So why don't you do that?"

Zack: "Are you joking? I'm a man…man! Men don't do that in public."

Tenshi says: "No one's lookin'…"

Zack glances left to right, then smiles. They hug briefly.

The following day on the SOLDIER-floor, Tenshi is walking out of the briefing room. Zack: "Yo! Tenshi …didn't you get your uniform?"

"I got one but…"

"So why don't you dress up."

"I can't... I need to see the Director." Tenshi feels unwell.

Tenshi waits for the lift and goes to the floor of the Director's office.

"Why don't you wear the uniform?" asks Lazard.

"To be honest…um, well…it…it doesn't suit me…" says Tenshi quiet embarrassed.

"You know, just the 1st class SOLDIER are allowed to dress what they want…" Lazard says looking seriously at him.

Tenshi grins bashfully: "So that means…" then his grin turns into a lucky smile. "I should become a 1st soon, so you can't fire me."

Lazard closes his eyes and smiles, folding arms: "Okay, for you I'll do an exception."

"Why changing opinion?" Tenshi answers casually.

"Because you were really good out there and it would be a pity too lose someone like you." He watches Tenshi right in the face, while Tenshi's mood is been filled with ecstasy. Then Tenshi leaves the office, grinning with childish delight and shaking with joy. He was very proud of his positive results so far.


	5. Chapter 5

The most characters are the property of Square Enix and I don't own them. A character of mine is included in this chapter.

Ch. 5:

Zack stands in front of the lift as Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth come. "Waiting for the lift?" says Angeal, initiating some idle chat.

"Hum…" Zack nods, a little bored-looking.

"So Tenshi is officially a SOLDIER…" Genesis muses vaguely, speaking his thoughts aloud.

"Why do you say that?" says Sephiroth looking questioningly to him.

"Well…" answers Genesis. "I have the feeling that he would get a 1st class soon… and he would have some surprises in store, no doubt."

The lift opens as Zack says, laughing unabashedly: "He is just one big surprise."

Tenshi, who was inside of the lift, says: "Who are you talking about?"

"No one!" says Zack startled that Tenshi might have overheard them talking about him.

But Sephiroth says over him: "You."

Tenshi laugh and Zack hangs his head in shame. Tenshi says smiling: "What were you talking about exactly?"

They go into the lift. "Your membership…" says Angeal.

"Really? Why?" asks Tenshi quite wonderingly.

Genesis says a little bashfully: "Well… it's not important, you know…"

"But I don't think so… I'm sure there's a decent reason for talking about me!" says Tenshi, insisting on an answer.

"It's not important; just concentrate to the next mission," says Sephiroth with his usual firm finality. "Nothing else matters."

Tenshi pouts: "That's unfair! You made me curious!"

Zack laughs "Hey! Don't use my last name that way!"

Then Tenshi laughs too: "I'm sorry. … Would you tell me why you were talk-"

Everyone else say: "No." Tenshi pouts with a smile and says: "I though it would work."

They reach the first floor and are making their way to the exit when Tenshi sees a woman looking around. Significantly, Tenshi notices that she wears very expensive-looking clothes. She looked important. Tenshi thought he'd better help her out - he didn't want the company to look bad by simply ignoring her. He asks her: "Hi, um… I'm sorry to interrupt, but… what are you searching for?"

"I'm looking for a person witch is working for this concern…" says the woman, her voice unnaturally high.

"Well…" Tenshi began reluctantly, not wanting this strange woman, but knowing he could not back out now. "Maybe I know this guy… tell me his name…"

The woman looks to him: "It's Tenshi Sakaime… I have to do something for my brother and my sister…"

"Well… I'm Tenshi… what can I do for you?" Tenshi asks her curiously.

The woman turns around and appears to leave: "Well… you could do me a favour…" she added airily.

"Um…Miss?" He called out to her, now wanting more than ever to know what she wanted from him.

"Die for me murderer!" she snarled, summoning four sheep and assuming a strange fight position.

Suddenly everyone fall asleep… at first it was all the employees, then Zack, Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth keeled over unconscious as well. Just Tenshi is left. He is like bursting: "What just happened?" he burst out angrily. "Why does everyone fall asleep?"

"My sheep…" she said carelessly, waving a hand. "…Now you have to fight alone… against the five of us…."

"What do you mean?" He grins suddenly. "Do you think I can't beat you down?" He takes up his weapon. The woman throws her hand forward and the sheep jump in the direction she pointed. Tenshi defends against the sheep that attack one after one… Tenshi jumps to throw magic from above but the sheep didn't stop attacking him. "You're just defending?" commented the woman. "Why don't you try to fight? Ha, ha!"

Tenshi says while being attacked: "I'm an animal friend… the other ones were monsters… I mean… the ones I have had to fighting against…!"

The woman laughs into her hand: "Hi, hi, ha! So that's my revenge!"

Tenshi gets mad: "I'm sorry f***ing crazy b****," Tenshi shout wrathfully "but I really have not a single idea about what you're talking about!" he jumps high and the sheep who attacks him, falls down on its face. As Tenshi falls he puts his sword in both of his hands. As he reaches the floor, his sword plunges into the ground with the force of an earthquake and he turns in a circle. As he stops, he kneels with spread legs, the weight on the one leg, the sword behind him. His other hand is stretched out to the side. He grins and the sheep disappear: "Don't make fun of me, you hear me?" he rises and turns with a serious face. As the woman starts to talk, he merely glances to her.

"Ha, ha! If you think your friends will get up by defeating my sheep, you're wrong! He, he, he! You have to offer something important for you. …And I think, guys like you just love their life! Ho, ho, ho!" the woman cackles.

Tenshi is really angry now: "What does a stupid person like you know…!"

The woman's face twisted with rage. "I will tear you to pieces for that!" the sheep appear on her side again. She runs to him with great speed and beats him with a wand.

'What can I possibly do…?' thinks Tenshi, still just defending. The sheep suddenly start an attack on him; a big light ball appears in the air above them. As Tenshi watches as it starts to fly to where his friends are. He curses in shock: "Sh**!" he pushes her back and runs off to rescue his friends.

The woman starts to laugh: "Just like I thought!" she mocks him.

"I won't…let you…" he struggles to speak, "hurt…my friends!" he falls to the floor.

A short time nothing happens but then Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal and Zack get up. They see Tenshi knocked down and are shocked. Genesis runs to him and shouts: "Tenshi! Say something! Tenshi!" Genesis furiously to the woman, stretches his arm out and shoots big fire balls out of his hand: "RAHHHHH!"

He gets up and every one draws their weapons, but Genesis says: "Stay back. I'll take her alone…!"

Angeal: "Genesis…!"

"Come and try…" says the woman with defiance.

Genesis jumps to her with high speed, swinging his sword like a wing, and fights hard with her and her sheep but they are too strong…as he is nearly defeated a long Katana sticks through her body. Genesis thinks it is Sephiroth and exclaims: "Sephiroth! I said to - _Tenshi_?", as he sees that it's not Sephiroth but Tenshi is he starts to smile. "You're alive!" he says happily.

Tenshi falls weak on the knees. Genesis rushes over to him and hugs him briefly, being so glad seeing Tenshi alive. "I never had to die to wake you up…", he says, "I had to offer something really important for me, she said… and I did."

Genesis looks into his face curiously: "What is it?"

"Nothing vital…" blocks Tenshi rising.

"Tenshi!" Zack says, grinning. "You have to tell me every thing that happened. It seems that I overslept the interesting part!" he puts a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Oh! By the way… Genesis. What's wrong with you? You scare me, man …but your way of being furious is just too funny!" he laughs and they leave. Tenshi glances back to Genesis, who still looks very serious.

"What's going on with you? I know you are excitable but…" says Angeal, caring for his friend.

"You should take a day off," Sephiroth commented.

"I don't need it…I had one a few days ago." Says Genesis, though searching for a reason for it in himself.


End file.
